Paper-feeding machine



c. 8.:HANAU, DECD. D. G. HANAU. EXECUTRIX. PAPER FEEDING MACHINE.APPLICATION FILED MAYIB. I918. PENEVIED SEPT. 7. I920.

I15376 75 PaIented'May3J921 '4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

C. S. HANAU, D'ECD. o. e. ummu, exacunux.

v PAPERFEEDINGMACHINE. APPLICATION man M'AY ls. I918. nmsweu SEPT. 1,1920.

1,376,875. 4 Patented. May 3, 1921.

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D. G. HANAU, EXECUTRIX.

PAPER FEEDING MACHRNE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 1a. 1918. RENEWED SEPT. 7.1920.

1,376,875. Patented May 3,1921.

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C; S. HANAU, DECD. u. s. HANAU, EXECUTRIYX. PAPER FEEDING MACHINE.APPLICATION FILED MAY18,'I9l8. RENEWED SEPT. 7.1920.

1 376 875; Patented May ,3, 1921.

4 SHEETSS HEET 4.

l l P I m U AITOH/VEV UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

CARL S. HANAU, OF NEW YORK, N. Y. DOROTHY G; HANAU EXEGT ITRIX OF CARLS.

HANA'U, DECEASED.

PAPER- FEEDING- MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. 7

Patented May 3,1921.

Application filed May 18, 1918, Serial No. 235,412. Renewed September'7, 1920. Serial: No. 408,774.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL S. HANAU, a subj ect of the King of the UnitedKingdomof Great Britain, and a resident of the city of New York, in thecounty of Bronx and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements 'in'Paper- Feeding Machines, of which the followingis a specification.

The present invention relates to paper feeding machines, for printingpresses, ruling machines, and the like, for feeding in regular order ofsuccession sheets from a serious difficulties have been experienced,

due to the fact that the combing operation in time advances the topsheets of the pile in a manner that they are engaged by the conveyinmeans without being'first separated. Moreover, the combing operationoftenhas a tendency to so position the sheets that their lateral edgesextend under a slight angle to the line of travel thereof, with, theresult that the separator causes the Ftop sheet to. be forwarded to theconveying means in the wrong position.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a device thatovercomes these defects by causing the combing means to so position thesheets that their lateral edges are parallel and their front edgesperpendicular to the line of travel. I

Another object of the invention is to so construct the machine that thecombing operation brings the top sheet of the pile to a predeterminedposition, at which position the separating means becomes opera-- tive,thereby preventing sheets from being carried to the conveying meanswithout the aid of the separating mechanism.

A further object of the invention is to generally improve and simplifythe feeding machines.

With these and other objects in view, which will more fully appear asthe nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists inthe combination, arrangement and construction of parts hereinafterdescribed, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, it being understood that many changes maybe madein the size and proportion of the several parts and details ofconstruction within the scope of the appended claims without departingfrom the spirit or sacrificing'any of the advantages of the invention.

Twov of'the many possible embodiments of the invention are illustratedin theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation,partly in section, of a paper feeding machine constructed inaccordancewith the present invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of aportion thereof, also partly in section; Fig. 3 is a section taken online 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of part of the mechanismshown in Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a top plan view, on

a larger scale, of the combing means of the same; and Fig. 13 is a sideelevation, partly in section, of a modification of the separating meansof the machine.

Referring now first toFigs. 1 to 8, in elusive, the numeral 20 indicatesone of the side frame members of the machine, of which thereare two, oneon each side of the machine, said frame members being connected in anysuitable manner, for instance by tie-rods 21 and 21. The stack of paper,

denoted by the numeral 22 is supported by a table 23, whichisautomatically raised, for bringing the top sheet into position forseparating, 'bvmeans herein not referred to, as the same does not formpart of the present invention. The stack of paper is guided in itsupward movement by a trans-. verse frame 24, having at its upper end aforwardly bent inclined lip 25', provided at its free end withanupwardlyiprojecting ledge .26. i In front of this ledge are mountafterappear, the lower and stationary mem bers of the separating device.These shelves are pivoted at 28 to brackets 29, thelatter being attachedin any suitable manner to the transverse frame 24, their upper facesbeing provided with friction strips, preferably made of rubber. The rearedges of the friction strips are disposed substantially flush with theledge 26, their front edges being somewhathigher. The shelves 27 areyieldingly held in such inclined positions by springs 27 The main shaft30 of the machine is journaled'in theside frames 20, and is rotated fromany suitable source of power, for instance from the cylinder shaft bythe intermediary of a chain 31, meshing with a sprocket wheel 32 on thesaid main shaft. This shaft operates,-by a suitable intermedi atemechanism, the feeding and separating means of the apparatus. Thefeeding and separating means is attached, in a manner hereinafter to bedescribed to a rock-shaft 33, the reduced ends 34 of which are slidablyarranged in horizontally extending slots 35 in the side framemembers 20.To this rock-shaft is fixedly attached, near one of its ends, a crank36, the pin 37 of which is slidably arranged in a horizontal guide 38,which, in turn, is slidable in a vertical slot 39 in one of the sideframe members. A spring 40, attached to one of the side frame membersand to the said guide, serves to keep the latter in its lowermostposition. Links 41 connect the rock shaft 33 with levers 42, the latterbeing fixedly attached to a rock-shaft 43, journaled in the side framemembers. To the last-named rock-shaft is rigidly secured a lever 44,carrying on its free end an anti-friction roller 45, seated in thegroove 46 of a cam 46. This cam is fixedly attached to the main shaft30. The guide 38 is engaged by a bell-crank lever 47, that is fulcrumedat 47 to the side frame members and cooperates with a cam 48 upon themain shaft 30. The construction of the cam 48 and the relation thereofto the cam 46 will be described, in detail, hereinafter.

On the rock-shaft 33 is mounted the sheet advancing and separatingmeans- This means comprises a suitable number of rollers 49, eachattached to a spindle 50, which is rotatably journaled in a forked lever51. These levers are fixed each to a spindle 52, the latter beingoscillatablymounted in cranks 53 on the rock-shaft 33-. The rollers 49are each provided with a' friction covering, preferably of'rubber, orany other suitable, material, the coefficient of friction of which isgreater than that of paper upon paper. Fixedly attached to each spindle50 is a ratchet wheel 54, adapted to be engaged by a t t of a h:,il1etis piv ted for 2.

at 56 to the respective lever 51. The front end 57 of each hook projectsa considerable distance in front of the respective roller 49,

' purpose hereinafter to be described. On each crank 53 is formed a stop58, which limits the downward motion of the respective lever 51, aspring 59 tending to force the said lever against the said stop. lVitheach roller 49 coiiperates a-suction device 60, comprising a casing 61,having a fiat perforated underface 62, that is adapted to rest upon thetop sheet of the pile of paper, said casing being pivoted at 63 to alever 64, the

latter being fixed to the spindle 52 of the respective lever 51. Aspring 65 and a stop, similar to the stop 58 above mentioned, cooperateswith each lever 64. Each casing 61 communicates through a, preferably,flexible hose 66 with a pipe 67, that extends across the feedingmachine. This pipe is provided with a valve casing 68, intermediate asuction device (not shown) and the flexible hose 66. In this casing isdisposed a valve 69, the stem 70 of which is provided with a fork-shapedhead 71, carrying an anti-friction roller 72. This roller coacts with acam 73, mounted upon the main shaft 30. The head 71 is slidably arranged.between guides 74 on one of the side frames ofthe machine, said guidesbeing parallel to the longitudinal axis of the valve stem. A spring 75,wound upon the valve stem '70, serves to keep the anti-friction roller72 continuously in engagement with the cam 73.

Each shelf 27 is mounted in the path of a roller 49 anda casing61,co6perating therewith. mediately in front of the ledge 26, is mountedan upwardly projecting brush 76, which has a tendency to keep back thepaper sheet or sheets below the top sheet, in case the suction devicelifts, in a manner hereinafter to be described, more than one sheet ofpaper.

The top sheet of the pile of paper is advanced by the feeding andseparating means above described within the reach of conveying means,consisting of a roller 77,

which is rotated by means of a chain 78 from any suitable source ofpower. Pressure rollers 79 coast with the roller 77. Each of thesepressure rollers is mounted upon one arm of a bell-crank lever 80, saidlevers being fulcrumed to the tie-rod 21, and carrying each on theirfree ends a roller 81," coiiperating with cams 82, on the main On theside of each shelf, im-

shaft of the machine. Thepurpose of the V cams 82 is to lower thepressure rollers at times when the front edge of a top sheet of thestack of paper reaches the roller 77.

Tothe rock shaft 33 is loosely attached a rearwardly extending arm 83,that is provided at its rear end with pins 84, engaging verticalslots'85 in a frame 86. To this frame is fastened a horizontal spindle87 on which are rotatably mounted rollers 88, adapted to engage thestack of paper at its rear edge. In order to keep the frame 86 invertical position, there are mounted thereon, in front of the rollers88, small rollers 89. The ends of the spindle 87 project beyond therollers 88, and are seated in grooves 90 in horizontally extendingframemembers 91. Each of grooves 90 is practically U- shaped, as clearlyappears in detail from Fig. 6 of the drawings, guiding the movement ofthe frame 86, in a manner hereinafter to be described. The frame members91 are pivoted at 92 to a transverse horizontal bar 93, that isadjustably mounted upon stationary frame members 94, the latter beingsecured to posts 95, supporting the table 23. To the transverse bar 93are attached forwardly and downwardly eX- tending springs 96, which areof different lengths, adapted to rest on the rear edges of a few of thetop sheets of the stack of paper, whereby the sheets lying underneaththe top sheet are prevented from movement,

as the top sheet is carried forward. The frame members 91 are held intheir normal horizontal positions by springs 97, which bear against'thetie-rod 21. To the said tierod is attached a leaf-spring 98, carryingupon its free end a roller 99. This roller is adapted to rest on the topsheet. lVith the spring 98 cotiperates a lug 100, carried by the arm 83.The spring is mounted in the path of the said lug, so that, as the arm83 moves forward, that is to say toward the pressure roller 77, the saidlug will lift the spring 98 and thereby disengage the roller 99 from thetop sheet of the pile of paper.

The operation of thisdevice is as follows :A few sheets on top .of thepile are moved by the combing rollers 88, the operation of which will bedescribed hereinafter, and also by the rollers 49 onto the inclined lip25 of the transverse frame 24. The top sheet is stopped in its forwardmovement, as the sheetsare being combed, by the ledge 26 on the lip 25,its forward edge being held at right angles to the line of travel of theseparating means.

When the rock-shaft 331s 1n its outermost position to the right, thehorizontal guide 38 is in its lowermost position, in which both therollers 49 and the suction casings 61 rest on the top sheet of thestack. The hooks 55 also rest on the top sheet, whereby their teeth 55are disengaged from the ratchet wheels 54. As the rock-shaft now startsforward. that is to say. to theleft, the rollers 49 are allowed torotate freely, and do there fore not move the top sheet, except thatthey aid in the combing operation. When, in the further forward movementof the rock-shaft, the front edge of the suction casings 61 reach theledge 26 of the forwardly bent lip 25,, the hooks 55 are disengaged fromthe bell-crank lever 47, the horizontal guide 38 to be slightly raised,thereby giving the rock-shaft a slight turn. Due to this turn both thesuction casings and the friction rollers 49 are slightly raised. Beforethis raising operation, the cam 73 causes the valve 69 in the casing 68to be unseated, whereby a vacuum is created in the suction casings, theresult beingthat, as the said suction casings and rollers 49 are raised,the top sheet is elevated slightly above the plane of the ledge 26. Thevacuum is maintained then duringthe remainder of the forward stroke ofthe suction casings, which carry thus the top sheet within the reach ofthe conveying means. Both the suction casings and the rollers 49cotiperate with the fric tion strips on the shelves 27, the rollers 49,by reason of theirv rotation being stopped, separating the sheets, ifbyaccident, more than one sheet has been carried forward. The sheets,lying underneath the top sheet, are prevented from movement by thebrushes 76, on the sides of the said shelves. The rollers 49 act thus,in conjunction with the shelves, both as separating and advancing means;the main purpose of the suction casings being to elevate the top sheetabove the lcdge26. These suction casings serve also an additionalpurpose, towit: They maintain the front edge ofthe sheet being advancedperpendicular to the'line of travel of the friction rollers 49, so that,in case one of these rollers works improperly, the sheet will not bewrongly placed between the conveying means. The ledge 26 has the func-'tion of gage for the front edge of the top sheet, as appears from above,and prevents also the sheets on top of the pile from being combed toofast and thus advanced to the conveying means without separation.

When the suction casings 61 and the roll-' ers 49 have reached theirforemost positions, the top sheet is within the reach of they conveyingroller 77, at which time the pressure rollers 79 are moved downward,whereby the sheet is conveyed to the printing press. As soon as theconveying roller 77 engages the sheet, the cam 7 3 permits the valve 69to' be seated so that the suction casings release the sheet of paper.After this. the

horizontal guide 38 is raised, rocking the the said casings and rollersare again moved into contact with the stack of paper.

From the foregoing it appears that the rollers 49 and casings 61 arecaused to become operative at a predetermined point from the front edgeof the paper sheet and also at the same points in their travel towardthe ledges 26.

The springs 96 prevent the sheets below the top sheet from moving withthe top sheet, inasmuch as they engage a number of' sheets below the topsheet.

The rollers 49, obviously, act as combing means in cooperation with therollers 88 in front of the springs 96. The rollers 88 engage, when therollers 49 are in their rear positions, the sheets below the top sheetand move forward with the rollers 49, thus combing out the sheets belowthe top sheet. As soon as the spindle 87 of the rollers 88 reaches thelower legs of the substantially U-shaped grooves 90, the said rollersare lifted off the stack of paper and are held in such positions duringpart of the forward stroke of the rollers 49 and during their entirerearward stroke. When reaching the end of the rearward stroke, therollers 88 drop by gravity onto the rear edges of the sheets below thetop sheet. In each U-shaped groove 90 is disposed a spring 101, which isforced upward as the lugs 87 move forward, serving then as a support forthe said lugs during part of the rearward travel of the rollers 88. Toaid in the combing operation, the spring-pressed roller 99 must rest onthe top sheet. As the top sheet is, however, being forwarded, the saidroller must be raised. This is accomplished by the lug 100, raising thespring 98 at the proper point in the forward travel of the arm 83.

With certain kinds of paper it is sufficient to employ the frictionrollers 49 alone for the combing operation. When this is the case, thearm 83 is disengaged from the frame 86, and the latter, with the frames86, swung around the pivots 92 in the direction of the arrow shown inFig. 2 of the drawings adjacent the same, thereby bring.- ing the sameinto inoperative position.

In some cases it may be found advisable to do away entirely with thefriction rollers 49. In such a case a suction casing 61 is employed,having a spring-pressed shoe 110 pivoted at 111 to the rear portionthereof (Figs. 10 to 12, inclusive). This shoe is covered at its lowersurface with a friction strip 112, taking thus the place of the rollers49.

The suction casings 61, shown in detail in Figs. 7 to 9, inclusive, maybe provided on their sides and rear end with a friction body 113, havinga function similar to the shoe 110 mentioned.

Instead of employing the brushes 7 6 for of a friction covering, a brushsurface may be attached to the roller.

hat I claim is 1. In a machine'for feeding sheets of paper from a stack,the combination with a pneumatically acting reciprocating separatingmember, of means for causing said member to become operative at apredetermined point in its travel and at a substantial distance from thebeginning of its forward stroke, and means for raising said member assoon as operative, thereby lifting the top sheet of the stack.

2. In a machine for feeding sheets of paper from a stack, thecombination with a pneumatically acting reciprocating separating member,of means for causing said member to become operative at a predeterminedpoint from the beginning of its forward stroke and at a predeterminedpoint from the front edge of the top sheet of the stack, and means forraising said member as soon as operative, thereby lifting the top sheetof the stack.

3. In a machine for feeding sheets of paper from a stack, thecombination with a pneumatically acting reciprocating separating member,of a stationary separating member cooperating therewith and beingnormally disposed above the top sheet of the stack, means for causingsaid reciprocating member to become operative at a predetermined pointin its travel and at a substantial distance from the beginning of itsforward stroke, and means for raising said reciprocating member as soonas operative, thereby elevating the top sheet of the stack onto saidstationary separating member.

4. In a machine for feeding sheets of paper from a stack, thecombination with a pneumatically acting reciprocating separating member,of a stationary separating member cooperating'therewith and beingnormally disposed above the top sheet of the stack, means for causingsaid reciprocating member to become operative at a predetermined pointfrom the beginning. ofits for ward stroke and at a predetermined pointfrom the front edge of the top sheet of the stack, and means for raisingsaid reciprocating member as soon'as operative, thereby elevating thetop sheet of the stack onto said stationary separating member.

5- n a ma h ne or feed ng sheets of member as soon as operative, therebyelej vating the top sheet of the stack onto said stationary separatingmember.

6. A machine for feeding sheets of paper from a stack, comprising afeeding roller having a bodily motion to and from the front edges of thesheets and adapted to engage the sheet to be fed, means for causing thefront edges of a few of the sheets on top of the stack to protrude infront of the front edge of the stack, and means for arresting therotation of said roller at a predetermined point from the front edge ofthe 'top sheet, the combination of means for causing the arresting pointto coincide with a predetermined point in the travel of said roller.

7 A machine for feeding sheets of paper from a stack, comprising afeeding roller having a bodily motion to and from the front edge of thesheet and adapted toengage the sheet to be fed, and means for arrestingthe rotation of said roller at a predetermined point from the front edgeof said sheet, the combination of a ledge in the path of said rollerserving as a stop for the sheet and thereby determining the point in thetravel of said roller at which the said arresting means becomeoperative.

8. A machine for feeding, sheets of paper from a stack, comprising afeeding roller having a bodily motion to and from the front edges of thesheets and adapted to engage the sheet to be.fed, means for causing thefront edges of a few of the sheets on top of the stack to protrude infront of the front edge of the stack, and means for automaticallyarresting the rotation of said roller at a predetermined point from thefront edge of the top sheet, the combination of means for'causing thearresting point to coincide with a predetermined point in the travel ofsaid roller.

9. A machine for feeding sheets of paper from a stack, comprising afeeding roller having a bodily motion to and from the front edge of thesheet and adapted to engage the sheet to be fed, and means forautomatically arresting the rotation of said roller at a predeterminedpoint from the front edge of said sheet, the combination of a ledge inthe path'of said roller serving as a stop for the sheet and therebydetermining the point in the travel of said roller at which the saidarresting means become operative. r

10. In a machine for feedlng sheets of paper from a stack, thecombination with a pneumatically'acting reciprocating separating memberfor advancing the top sheet of the stack, of frictional means in thepath of said reciprocating member for controlling the separation of thetop sheet of the stack of paper, said frictional means being disposedhigher than the top sheet in its nor- 7 mal position, and means forraising said pneumatically acting reciprocating member, when operative,thereby lifting the top sheet of the stack onto said frictional means.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,this 2nd day of May, A. D. 1918. c

CARL S. HANAU;

